August 16, 2013
UW Dentistry tackles a job for Huskies: mouth guards
Dr. Nestor Cohenca of the School of Dentistry takes a dental impression for Huskies kicker Zach Grossnickle before fabricating a custom mouth guard.Steve Steinberg
Anyone who tries to play “smash-mouth football” against the UW this fall will find the Huskies fully prepared, thanks to a little help from School of Dentistry faculty, students and staff.
This summer, Department of Pediatric Dentistry residents took dental impressions for members of the Husky football team at the UW athletic department. The impressions were used to fabricate about 100 customized mouth guards at The Center for Pediatric Dentistry.
Dr. Nestor Cohenca, professor of endodontics and an adjunct professor at The Center for Pediatric Dentistry, led the project.
He and School of Dentistry lab technician Rich Lee, who worked on his own time, fabricated the mouth guards, with the help of Pediatric Dentistry residents. Cohenca delivered and customized them afterward. Dentistry staff also helped to organize the materials.
“Our football athletes will be very well protected and perform at their best athletic capabilities,” Cohenca said.
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Tag(s): School of Dentistry • sports medicine
